Pep Guardiola says Phil Foden can only get better after his star showing from a wide forward role in Manchester City's 4-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
The England international was twice on target at the Amex Stadium, making him City's top scorer in the Premier League this season with three goals.
Foden appeared primed to be take over David Silva's mantle as City creator-in-chief when the Spanish midfielder left the club last year, but the 21-year-old is excelling in an altogether different role for his side this season.
"He can play left winger, which is a good position, and right winger, which is a good position for him," Guardiola said.
"Phil is a player who can play in different positions but especially up front because he has the quality and the precision. He had many chances to score in recent games but he is young and will keep improving."
It was Foden's second top-flight brace - although both had an air of fortuity after Ben White looked to get the last touch for Foden's first while Gabriel Jesus' shot deflected off his teammate to wrong foot Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
They City graduate has impressed in a number of roles for club and country over the past 18 months, excelling as a central midfield playmaker, as he proved when impressing for England against Andorra this month, but it seems for City he can have a greater impact out wide.
"I'm enjoying it," Foden told the BBC when asked about his new wide role.
"I can drop deep and get the ball and pick the passes off. It's a new role for me and I can say I'm really enjoying it.
"It changes game-to-game. Sometimes I stay higher than normal, but this game they went man-to-man so I dropped a bit deeper and I thought we used the extra man well."
Player ratings
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BRIGHTON RATINGS: Robert Sanchez – 6. Spilled the ball following Foden’s deflected shot, which saw Gundogan break the deadlock. Redeemed himself stopping Foden and Jesus in the opening 20 minutes. Couldn’t keep out Foden’s deflection of Jesus’ shot despite getting low to stop Grealish’s initial effort. Getty -
Joel Veltman – 6. Had a tough evening facing Cancelo and Grealish on the wing. Put in a great tackle to cut out Grealish in the 76th minute as City looked to extend their lead. EPA -
Lewis Dunk – 7. Astonishing goalline clearance after 10 minutes to stop Jesus grabbing the opener. Supplied a beautiful long ball over to March in the box. A captain’s performance when things could have easily fallen apart with City on top form. Getty -
Dan Burn – 6. Fought with Foden with a sliding tackle but it was the City man who was able to nudge a bit further to score his first of the game. Dispossessed by Silva before half time, but luckily Lallana was on hand to stop the Portuguese man. Subbed as Brighton looked to find a way back into the game. Reuters -
Marc Cucurella – 6. Was left hobbling by Walker but seemed to run it off. Some good work on the wing to beat Walker was ruined within seconds with the wrong pass and a City deadly counter attack. Livelier after the restart. AFP -
Pascal Gross – 6. Lovely first touch and turn to bring down Trossard’s cross to force Ederson to make his first real save of the night. AFP -
Jakub Moder – 6. Unable to get an early header on target in the first half. Lovely footwork to dribble through City in the box before seeing his shot go wide. Booked for catching Cancelo. AFP -
Adam Lallana – 7. Cut out another deadly City attack as a fourth looked looming. Lovely work to cut out Cancelo’s undoing of Brighton’s wing just before half time. Booked. Reuters -
Solly March – 7. Replaced Duffy in the line-up. Forced Ederson into a save with a high effort just before the break. Woke up at half time to read Trossard’s ball but trapped by blue shirts. Optimistic display. AFP -
Leandro Trossard – 6. Saw a shot go high and wide after a mix-up with his strike partner. Had to work on scraps during the first half. Much livelier second half to wake up the home crowd and trouble Ederson. Getty -
Neal Maupay – 5. A miserable first half for Maupay with only a handful of touches at the break. AP -
SUBS: Tariq Lamptey (Burn 57’) – 7. Had quite the introduction after being wiped out by Cancelo, but his arrival livened up the home side. Produced some trickery to catch Grealish and somehow keep the ball. Great cameo from the bench. Reuters -
Enock Mwepu (Maupay 58’) – 6. A wasteful long ball after coming on as Brighton looked to make their possession count. Fouled for the penalty. Getty -
Alexis Mac Allister (Gross 72’) – 6 Given the job of taking the penalty, it looked like Ederson had both hands on it but there was enough power to give Brighton a fighting chance. AP -
MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson – 6. Spent much of the first half watching a devastating performance in front of him. When called into action, he looked confident and reliable as ever as he got down low to keep Trossard out. Gave away a penalty after catching Zambian midfielder Mwepu. Couldn’t keep it out. Booked for time wasting. AFP -
Kyle Walker – 7. Quieter game after his display against Club Brugge. Did well to deal with Cucurella, albeit booked for a foul on the Spaniard. Getty -
Ruben Dias – 7. Largely helped things tick over at the back for large parts of the first half with Laporte, but had to be alert as Brighton looked for a comeback. EPA -
Amyeric Laporte – 7. Played out well from the back and linked the play with the midfield. Would have probably dealt with Mwepu in the box but listened to Ederson’s call, which then led to the penalty. EPA -
Joao Cancelo – 7. Forced Sanchez into an early save in the first half and another after the restart. Booked after wiping out Lamptey. Getty -
Ilkay Gundogan – 7. Back in the team after a brief run out against Brugge following a hamstring injury. Provided a lovely pass in Jesus’s direction in the opening stages, and broke the deadlock minutes after. Reuters -
Rodri – 7. Did well in the centre to cut out Brighton during the first half, and worked well alongside Gundogan and Silva. Was overrun in the second half, which saw Guardiola add Fernandinho in the middle. PA -
Bernardo Silva – 7. Laid it on for Foden to have a shot early on, and assisted the rebound goal. Slotted in some lovely passes throughout. Great run as Man City looked for a fourth in the closing stages. Getty -
Phil Foden – 9. Lively as ever. Slotted in City’s second after finishing a City counter-attack following great work from Silva and Grealish. Credited for the deflection of City’s third. Was looking for his hat-trick before half time and forced Sanchez into another save. Added an assist in the added time despite a quieter second half. Reuters -
Jack Grealish – 7. One of several changes from the side which beat Burnley 2-0 and grabbed his second assist of the Premier League season. Could have scored City’s third but denied by Sanchez. Reuters -
Gabriel Jesus – 7. Came back into the team for Mahrez. Denied the opener by an incredible goal line clearance. Lively, and thought he’d grabbed City’s third, although credited to Foden. Getty -
SUBS: Fernandinho (Gundogan 74’) – N/R. Came on as Brighton started to see more of the chances. Did his job to limit Brighton when needed. AFP -
Kevin De Bruyne (Grealish 77’) – N/R. Dropped to the bench in favour of Gundogan and came on when City were on the back foot. A tough appearance from the bench. EPA -
Riyad Mahrez (Jesus 86’) – N/R. Was left in plenty of space to net his second premier league goal of the season. EPA
Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring despite Brighton's pleas for a foul on Sanchez in the build-up before Foden's double sent them into the break with a 3-0 lead.
Brighton will take heart from a second-half performance that showed their early season form is not a blip, although City did come to life after Mac Allister's late goal.
City wrapped up the win when an unmarked Riyad Mahrez rifled home in stoppage time as the visitors moved back to within two points of leaders Chelsea while Brighton remain fourth on 15 points.
"I was impressed with everybody in reference to the second half," said Brighton boss Graham Potter.
"I wouldn't want to single anyone out, the first goal was soft from our perspective. I couldn't have been more proud of the boys and what they gave."
